The Machinegun Opera

I thought this was a pretty good idea....get a film done within a 48-hour lockdown at Calarts. Wish VFS had something like this. :D

Something to pass the time

Hello, dears.
While your whittling the time away this holiday, why not do something to enrich you mind and imagination?
I just read a fantastic book: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. (Pi pronounced "pie," like the pastry, or 3.14). The story goes like this - Piscine Moritel Patel, or, Pi for short, is on a cargo ship to Canada with his family, and a good number of his father's zoo animals. The ship sinks. All that's left is a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, an orangutan, a 450 lbs. male Bengal tiger, and Pi, a skinny, 16-year old Indian boy.
This is the story of his 227 days at sea.
I'm probably making it sound stupid, but trust me - this is the best book I've read in a while.
Happy reading, and happy holidays!
Love,
Cady

He Will Be Remembered

Hello, dears.
For those who read this blog, I'm sure this is nothing new, but for the newcomers, it is with a heavy heart that I annouce the passing of the brilliant Joseph Barbera (1911-2006), the other remaining half of the Hanna-Barbera duo of animation.
Realistically speaking, no, I never knew the man, but if it weren't for people like him, who knows where I, among thousands of others, would be today? Would I really be going to a school JUST for animation? Would I be training to spend the rest of my adult life making cartoons? Perhaps, if men like him, along with Bill Hanna, hadn't come along, commerical - hell, just animation PERIOD might not be where it is today.
Case in point.
As a citizen of North America, it's undeniable that characters such as Tom and Jerry, the Flintstones, and Yogi Bear have made SOME sort of impact. If I go up to my 57 year old dad and say, "Yabba dabba do!" he'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Thank you, Sir Joseph, for taking animation where it is today.
I'm sure that a gray tabby and a little brown mouse are weeping for the loss.
Love always,
Cady

Joseph Barbera
1911-2006

For Whom the Bell Tolls...

...It tolls for those who don't have their clean-up done. x_x
Well, we're on the proverbial home stretch, here. One week until our Christmas break, and really only one more week of 'free' (I use the term VERY loosely) to do the grunt-work for our films.
I'm half-way through my clean-up, but I've done pretty much all of my tough scenes, so there are really just easy ones ahead. :D Not to mention that I'm colouring them about as fast as I'm cleaning them up.
I'm honestly a bit scared. I'm so tired, and I'm not sure I can get this done.....
But, where there's a will, there's a way. I certainly haven't come this far just to give up.
I drew another nice pic that I'm proud of....when I get a chance, I'll scan it in.
Take care, everyone.
Love,
Cady

Let it snow

Hey all,
I just had the urge to make a comment about the immensly abnormal snowfall. I'm at my school still, and...well, I've never really spent a winter in Vancouver, but it is so unbelievably cold I can barely move.
A classmate of mine just pointed out that it started snowing again....second one today. Yikes. I shouldn't complain, though...we wanted a white Christmas (if it'll last that long!), and at least I'm not still back in my old town, Mission. My dad was telling me that...well, too many people have already DIED in the last...what, three days? Lower Mainland drivers are NOT PREPARED FOR SNOW. Very dangerous out there.
To anyone in this area - for God's sake, try taking transit. Stay warm, bundle up, and wash your hands frequently - nasty cold's goin' around.
Take care, and...well, I guess we should try to enjoy it for what it is, right? ^_^;;;
Love,
Cady

I Could Be Doing Something More Constructive

Hello, everyone....
I had a bit of an..."artistic breakdown" on Friday...
Y'know, it's funny - I KNOW I should have been doing cleanup....but...I just...couldn't. I had to draw something different.
So, I ended up with this - Midna, your Twilight co-pilot from the new Legend of Zelda game for the Wii.
I'm pleased with how it turned out. :D
Well, back to work. ^_^
Love,
Cady

Way to Go!!!

Hey~
Remember good ol' Esteban? That guy's been busy!! I stumbled across this while on Cartoon Brew....Congratulations, Esteban!!
http://dekku.blogspot.com/
Crazy mo-fo's already won an award!! ^_^
Love,
Cady

Once again....

Hello, once again.
Alright - the second one is of Sora, from the famed Kingdom Hearts series. I was doodling him in class, realizing that when I draw him, he has quite the resemblance to Ash Ketchum, the imdominatble child star of Pokemon.
Huh....I probably should've colour-corrected these before I posted them. Oh well.
What else....ah yes! I'm totally done rough animation! Wait....I think I already posted that. Nevermind.
What else...oh! The Nintendo Wii is SO COOL!!! I worked the Wii release at my store, and honestly, I have to say that it was the best line-up I've ever worked with. I played security, so even when I had to go out and tell everyone that we were all sold out, they were really good about it. If you think about it, a vast majority of the line-up were all Nintendo fan-boys, who are some of the nicest people in the world. It was great.
But then...:D
My roommate bought one as well, along with Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Trauma Center: Second Opinion. I was a little disappointed with TC, though. I mean, I have the first one for the DS, and the Wii one is EXACTLY THE SAME. Like, WORD FOR WORD. So far, the only difference is that after a certain story point, you're introduced to a new playable character somewhere else in the States. Oh, yeah, and the art is a BIT different. I'm willing to give it a chance, though.
Zelda? Fucking sweet. Totally awesome. I mean, you have Link, who's already super hot, and he's a werewolf?! How much more do you need in a game? I'm set! I don't need anything else!
But really, it's great. It's suprisingly easy to control with the Wiimote and the Wiichuck. They did a great job.
And who could forget my lovely Final Fantasy III? It's SO CUTE! Way to go, Akihiko Yoshida. :D
Anything else exciting? Ah, yes.
I'm sick.
I caught a cold yesterday, and I've been staying home all day in bed. Fever, headache, runny nose....gawd. And still so much clean-up to do. Well, I'm heading off to school tomorrow, regardless of how I feel. Although even sitting upright takes a tremendous amount of effort....
I'm off to bed (even though that's where I've been for about 90% of my day...).
ACHOO!
*sniff*
Goodnight, everyone. Stay dry and warm, and don't forget to wash your hands often. :D
Love,
Cady

Not enough time for what?

Hello, everyone.
Posting at home, and I finally scanned in some doodles I've been doing!

The first one is Fran, a character from the new Final Fantasy XII game. I LOVE her character...she's so....quietly wise. :D Plus, she's absolutly beautiful. I had a hard time drawing her - her face and features are so round if you see her character art.
Okay....I'll post the second one after - I'm fighting with Blogger right now.

Celebrate Good Times

Hello, my dears.
My, what a busy week! I'm awfully happy....
I JUST FINISHED ROUGH ANIMATION!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!
....
Now, I just need the official sign-off.
But then I'm set! :D
Just....really.....working, I guess. Super tired....snore....This weather is very dangerous for everyone, directly, and indirectly. Directly, as in the sense of, like, the Chilliwack river flooding, and indirectly as in the I'm-in-bed-and-it's-warm-in-here-and-cold-out-there-and-I-wanna-stay-in-my-bed sorta thing. Dangerous. *_* Suxx0rz. :P
Shipping delays at work....PS3 coming out tomorrow....super. But damn! I'm working on the Wii release on Sunday! Oh well....I said I'd work Sunday's again...I can't complain.
Oh - one last thing - Anat and I have found God, and it's name is Creme Caramel tea, by Stash.
Now, normally, I wouldn't touch Stash tea with a ten-foot-pole, what on account of the fact that it smells and tastes like ass, but this stuff is really good! I'm impressed! They describe it as being based off of the Dolce de lete dessert (sp?). Man....Mmm mm. Bit of milk and sugar, and you're really cooking! Yum!
Well, I also drew a picture that I'm really proud of, so I'll scan it in later on.
Take care,
Cady

It's getting harder....

Hello, everyone.
It's Monday, my "real" day off....I know I should be going to school, but....eh. I know I should. I worked all day Saturday, and, honestly...unless I HAVE to go to school, it's getting harder and harder to motivate myself to get up and go. I'm always so tired, and staying at home and relaxing just seems so nice, you know?
Put yourself in my shoes - outside, it's cold, gross, and it's a one-hour commute to school. OR - I could be here, in my apartment, wearing comfy pj's, and drinking tea. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions....
Well, at least I brought some work home, so it's not that bad. I'll make an honest attempt to get SOMETHING done today....blah. This blows.
Sorry. ^_^;;;
Take care,
Love,
Cady
PS - Head over to Cartoonbrew.com to see the trailer for the new Simpsons movie. Don't forget to read the little comment that goes with it - us animationist types will have a good laugh. :D

More Gems from Run Wrake

Hello, everyone.
Just a quick post before I prep for tomorrow...
For those of you who liked that 'Rabbit' film, the lovely guys at Cartoon Brew posted a link to all the rest of Run Wrake's shorts and/or commercials.
I'm warning you, they're STRANGE.
But, on the other hand, they're really cool.
Something about his stuff just grows on me. Can't explain.
http://www.bermudashorts.com/directors/_4/
Good times, noodle salad. :D
Take care, everyone.
Love,
Cady

Rough Animation, sc. 18

Yet another scene. Huh....the sound seems to be off. Strange. Also, this starts at a 6 FLD on the little kid (close-up), tracks over to the left, then zooms/trucks out to a full 12 fld.

God damn keyboard shortcuts!!!!

Gaaaahhh!!
Sorry!!! Sorry! I accidently pressed crtl+s. God damn computers. :P
Let's try this again.

Chili Con Carne
by Kelly A., original by Dorit R.

You'll need:

-2 cans of red kidney beans (the Heinz 'chili' style work wonderfully)
-1/2 lbs. (1 pkg.) ground beef
-2 tsp. canola oil
-2-4 tsp. sweet paprika
-salt/pepper to taste
-2 tsp. oregano
-1 bay leaf
-1 large green bell pepper
-1 med.-large onion
-4-6 mushrooms
-1 small can tomato paste
-2-4 tbsp. ketchup
-1/2 large can of whole tomatoes

In a large pot, cook the ground beef in the oil until brown. Don't drain any fat. Although you can use lean g.b., anything's okay, really. Add the kidney beans with the sauce they come in.
Cook for a minute or two. Add the seasonings. Adjust to taste.
Add all of the vegetables. If you want the veggies to be a bit softer, just let the chili simmer longer.
Now, a major chili killer (in my minimal experience anyways) is liquid. You want your chili to be nice and thick, not tomato soup with ground beef in it. The liquid that comes with the beans is actually ususally enough, although that's why I like adding the whole tomatoes. Add as many as you want, but they come in big cans, so half that is usually fine. Again, adjust accordingly, but pour a nice amount of the tomato juice in along with the whole tomatoes. You can just mush them in half with a wooden spoon; save yourself the mess.
Add in the ketchup. Honestly, this makes a big difference. It gives the chili a wonderfully sweet flavour.
And, lastly, if you're a spice nut, throw whatever else you want in there. I didn't add any chili powder because I'm a wuss. :D
Let that simmer on low heat for 10-15 min., or, as stated earlier, longer (20-23 min.) for slightly more tender veggies.
Serve with a bit of bread.


Well, considering I'm only a student, this is a nice, affordable, and tasty recipe. Not to mention it's EASY! You make the entire thing by throwing it all into the same pot.
Beteavon!
Love,
Cady

Prepping for the colder season

Hello, everyone.
Muah ha ha....rejoice on all souls night - it's Hallowe'en!
I feel bad that I don't have much spirit...I dunno. Maybe it's because I'm not much of a party person, or that I'm a broke-ass mo-fo. :D Hallowe'en booze are pricey....*_*
Just got another scene signed off....so let's see - that's....six signed off out of....what....18? All-nighters for me....:P
Now, on a more comforting note, since over here in Vancouver/Burnaby we're breaking weather records, I figure it's time to prep ourselves accordingly. It's gotten alarmingly and unseasonably cold recently, so over the last couple of weekends, I've been cooking. Honestly, with my time and money budget, finding recipes that you can make that's cheap, healthy and plentiful is great.
So, for those of you just stopping by, here's a "Cady-fied" version of a wonderful chili con carne (with meat). The whole things costs about....I'd say six bucks to make, is healthy, filling, easy to make, AND freezes well. Oh, and did I mention unbelievably tasty? Don't believe me? Give it a shot.

Chili Con Carne - Cady-style

Rough animation, sc. 7

Weeee!! I was so proud of how this turned out...hey, don't worry, everybody - this is what I've spent $16,000 doing!
PS - Thanks for lending your voice, Adam! :D

Rabbit

I saw this film from the Cartoon Brew blog, and, despite being really wierd and creepy, it's stuck with me. I've already seen it several times, and...yeah. There's just something about it. Great style, and very much deserving the awards it's nominated for.
Enjoy!
PS - Those kids are ruthless AND powerful! I can't cleave a full-grown sheep in half with a hatchet - in ONE SWING. You'll see what I mean. ;D

Work work work....

Hello, lovlies.
I hope things are well for the masses.
Me? I'm doing alright, all things considered. When I get my sound files to work, I'll post up a quick scene that I'm done animating. I'm really proud of how it turned out. :D (Although, it's only rough still.)
Hmmmm....other stuff besides school....ah yes.
Playstation 3.
What a fuck up that was! Soosh, Sony! As VG Cats stated it, "it was an overwhelming success due to an EXTREME lack of goods." Bah. I'm really glad I didn't work the opening....:P
Yeah, what else...oh! Equilibreum is a really cool movie. Go Batman! Cristian Bale should be in every movie ever made. Even, like, the Sound of Music. Yeah. That would be fucking sweet. :D
That's about it. I have a mush brain, and I must go and clean the fridge. *sigh*
My duties never cease.
Take care,
Love,
Cady
PS - Woof!

And we will marvel at it...

Indeed.
Hello.
It's....about 9:20pm, and I've been up since....4:30am? I'm going to be here rather late I'm afraid. You see, our layout deadline is tomorrow, and I promised through hell or high water that I'm going to make that deadline!! *_*
....
Me and my big mouth.
What actually ate up so much of my time was (well, besides Okami ^_^ ) is I just finished up with a voice recording session! I teamed up with a really nice, and really talented sound student named Ian, and I brought in my two stars, and we...well, recorded! In an ADR room, and everything! I even did a little bit of a voice-over myself! It was certainly an experience. I got to work with wonderful people (thanks Anat and Adam! You guys were great!!), and it was just swell. Now, onto animation!!
....
After I finish layout!
*snore*
I can do all of my marveling at my ring and its invisibility powers after I've met my deadline.
Have a great night, everyone. :D
Love always,
Cady
PS - .....mmmm....turkey......*drool*

Hello, dears.

Just thought I'd post a quick 'hello,' and update to what's going on.

Everything's actually going okay, to be honest. Layout, while I do derive some kind of perverse enjoyment from it, is still frustrating and brain-melting.

Oh! And, if you're wondering who these two lovely little pooches are, they're my final film characters, Argo and Astos (left to right). I'm just prepping my voice actors, and before I know it, I'll have walking, talking characters. I'm really excited to see these two come to life. :D

Well, that's all I'll post for tonight. Goodnight, world. Be safe and well.

Love,

Cady